Venerable Jinwoo, the head of the nation’s largest Buddhist sect, the Jogye Order, expressed his condolences on Tuesday over the death of Pope Francis, calling the late pontiff a true merciful bodhisattva. 

The Buddhist leader said in a news conference that Pope Francis had a keen interest in vulnerable members of society and those in despair, often praying for them and making efforts to help them. 

Venerable Jinwoo added that the pope had shown respect for other religions, recalling that when he visited South Korea in August 2014, he met with the head of the nation’s 12 major religious organizations, including the Jogye Order’s then-president, Venerable Jaseung. 

Pope Francis, who had led the Catholic Church since 2013, died Monday morning at the age of 88.

He previously was hospitalized for bilateral pneumonia for 38 days starting February 14.